Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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When an Employee Jumps Bail: Employer's Subsidiary Liability and the Finality of Judgment
Can an employer appeal a criminal conviction when its employee jumps bail? The Supreme Court explains subsidiary liability and finality of judgment.
Security of Tenure: Upholding Tenants' Rights Against Ejectment Despite Landowners' Claims
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies ejectment rules, provisional ownership resolution, and tenants' rights in unlawful detainer cases under Batas Pambansa Blg. 129.
Disproving Co-Ownership Claims: The Importance of Title and Evidence in Property Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on land registration: why bare claims of possession without solid evidence fail.
Conspiracy in Murder: When Watching a Killing Makes You a Co-Conspirator
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how conspiracy in murder is proven—and why a live-in partner who watched the killing was held liable.
Circumstantial Evidence and Homicide: Proving Guilt Beyond Reasonable Doubt
A look at how the Supreme Court distinguishes murder from homicide when treachery is not proven beyond reasonable doubt.
When Participation in a Crime Leads to Murder: The Ramos Case and the Limits of Treachery
The Supreme Court clarifies when a killing is murder or homicide, and how eyewitness identification and treachery are proven.
Condominium Living Enforcing Brochure Promises and Addressing Building Defects
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on condominium buyers' rights, brochure promises as warranties, and remedies for building defects under PD 957.
When a Deed of Absolute Sale Governs: Ejectment, Ownership, and the Kasunduan
The Supreme Court clarifies how courts resolve ejectment cases when a seller claims the deed of sale was incomplete, and what the Kasunduan means.
Flight From Justice: How Fugitive Status Can Bar Appeal Rights in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court ruling explains how a fugitive's escape from custody can lead to dismissal of their appeal and loss of legal remedies.
Reasonable Doubt and Warrants in Drug Cases: People v. Ayangao
The Supreme Court affirms a drug transport conviction, explaining probable cause for warrantless arrests and the limits of the alibi defense.
Upholding Electoral Will: Intervention and Abandonment in Election Protests
Explaining the Supreme Court's ruling on intervention by non-parties and abandonment of election protests, guided by the will of the people.
The Improvident Plea Protecting Rights in Heinous Crimes
Learn how the Supreme Court protects the rights of minors accused of heinous crimes, from improper pleas to mitigating circumstances.
Diminished Liability When Lack of Treachery Reduces Murder to Homicide
Learn how the Supreme Court reduced a murder conviction to homicide when the prosecution failed to prove treachery, affecting penalties and damages.
Confirming Land Titles: Possession Isnt Always Ownership
A Supreme Court ruling on search warrants clarifies that holding a Torrens title does not automatically mean ownership, and explains the limits of seizure.
Forged Documents and Ethical Boundaries: Attorney Accountability in Court Submissions
Supreme Court ruling on bank liability, damages, and the ethical duty of lawyers to verify documents before court submission.
When Self Defense Claims Fall Short Understanding Unlawful Aggression IN Philippine LAW
A street brawl, a fatal stabbing, and a conviction reduced to slight physical injuries—what the Supreme Court said about conspiracy and liability.
Quantum Meruit in Government Contracts: COA Overpayment Recovery Upheld
Supreme Court affirms COA's power to recover overpayments from government contractors under quantum meruit, even in void contracts.
Retirement Benefits, Creditable Service, and the Limits of Tacking in Government-Owned Corporations
A look at how the Supreme Court clarified the rules on retirement benefits, creditable service, and the limits of tacking in government-owned corporations.
Lawyers' Dishonesty and Disobedience: When Administrative Cases Lead to Suspension
The Supreme Court suspended a lawyer for dishonesty and disobeying IBP orders, clarifying the burden of proof in disbarment cases.
Piercing the Corporate Veil When Sales to Avoid Labor Judgments Are Void
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when courts may pierce the corporate veil to hold owners liable for obligations, including labor judgments.
Retirement Benefits Creditable Service and the Limits of Tacking in Philippine Labor Law
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when retirement benefits accrue, how service is counted, and the boundaries of optional retirement under Philippine law.
Protecting the Testimony of a Mental Retardate in Rape Cases
The Supreme Court affirms a rape conviction based on a mentally retarded victim's testimony, clarifying evidentiary rules for vulnerable witnesses.
Upholding Judicial Integrity: The Limits of Administrative Complaints Against Judges
The Supreme Court clarifies when administrative complaints against judges proceed despite withdrawal, and distinguishes venue in criminal versus civil cases.
Confession Under Duress: Safeguarding Constitutional Rights in Custodial Investigations
When a confession is extracted through violence or without proper counsel, it is inadmissible. The Supreme Court explains why.